A patient presents with atrial flutter with an atrial rate of 280 beats/min and a ventricular rate of 70 beats/min.Which statement best explains this discrepancy in rates?
A) The ventricles are too tired to respond to all the atrial signals.
B) The atrioventricular (AV) node does not conduct all the atrial signals to the ventricles.
C) Some of the atrial beats are blocked before reaching the AV node.
D) The ventricles are responding to a ventricular ectopic pacemaker.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The atrioventricular (AV)node does not allow conduction of all these impulses to the ventricles.In this case,the rhythm would be described as atrial flutter with a 4:1 AV block,indicating that only one of every four atrial signals is conducted to the ventricles.

A Patient Presents with Atrial Flutter with an Atrial Rate